Prayers to Usil (Sol)

Etruscan hymn to Usil

O Usil, magnificent Luminary, Thou who art the very Eye of Day, we lift our voices unto Thee, From the eastern threshold, where the mists of night yet cling reluctantly to the slumbering hills, Thou dost emerge, a Herald clad in gold and fire.

Thy countenance, terrible in its glory, ascends the celestial path, driving before Thee the lingering shadows and the chill spirits of the dark hours. Thou art the Great Awakener; Thy warm breath stirs the dormant seed within the earth's dark breast, coaxing forth the tender green shoot. Upon the ripening vineyards, Thy beneficent gaze doth linger, promising the fullness of the grape, the bounty that sustains our mortal frames.

Across the azure expanse, Thy chariot proceeds, drawn by steeds whose manes are flames, whose hooves strike sparks against the firmament. Thou art witness to all that unfolds beneath Thy sovereign passage – the rituals performed in consecrated groves, the augur's careful watch for signs within the sky Thou rulest, the merchant's journey, the farmer's toil. The decrees of Tinia, the whispers of fate – all lie bare beneath Thy encompassing light.

Grant unto us, Thy supplicants, O Usil, Thy continued favour. Let Thy rays pierce the gloom not only of the earthly realm, but the obscurities that cloud our understanding. Illuminate the auspices, that we may perceive the divine intent. Bestow vigour upon our people, warmth upon our hearths, and clarity upon our priests who seek Thy guidance.

As Thou dost journey towards the western gate, preparing to bathe the world in the softer hues of twilight, accept this our humble veneration. We acknowledge Thy power, Thy ceaseless rhythm, Thy vital gift. Though darkness comes, it is but a pause before Thy triumphant return. Depart in glory, O Usil, and rise again, bringing life renewed with the morrow's dawn. Thou art the constant fire, the unblinking watcher, the very soul of light. Be Thou eternally honoured.

Etruscan prayer to Usil

O Usil, thou Orb of purest Aether, whose journey commenceth in the roseate chambers of the Dawn, urged forth by steeds whose manes are spun of living flame and whose breath is the fervent morning breeze! Thou art the Eye of the Firmament, sleepless, all-pervading, from whose penetrating gaze naught terrestrial may lie concealed. Before thy advent, the pallid Moon, Tanaquil of the Night, doth gather her starry mantle and retreats abashed, yielding the vault of heaven unto thy solitary, insuperable majesty.

Thy golden shafts, O Dispenser of Warmth, descend not merely to illuminate, but to instill vigour; the slumbering seed within the earth's dark bosom doth stir and burgeon at thy command, thrusting forth tentative life towards thy benevolent aspect. Thou art he who doth paint the ripening grape with the purple hue of sacrifice, who gildeth the waving grain across the plains of Etruria, promising thereby sustenance and the continuation of our sacred rites. The very stones of our cyclopean walls seem to absorb thy diurnal strength, standing as steadfast witnesses to thy perpetual, unwavering circuit.

By thy light do our augurs unveil the nebulous future, observing the flight of feathered messengers against thy luminous backdrop, interpreting the celestial scripture thou dost daily unfold. Yea, the innermost secrets held within the quivering entrails upon the altar-stone are brought, as it were, to sharper relief beneath thy clarifying effulgence. Thou art the first witness to the vow, the silent auditor of oaths sworn beneath the open sky, the stern judge whose relentless passage measures the span allotted unto mortals.

Fail not, therefore, O mighty Usil, to pursue thy preordained course. Let not thy chariot falter, nor thy radiant visage be obscured by unwelcome vapour, save when the Sky Father, Tinia himself, doth command the storm for purposes beyond our frail comprehension. Grant thy generative power unto our fields, thy clear sight unto our diviners, thy steadfast brilliance as an emblem of the eternal order that governs the cosmos. For when thou dost sink below the western horizon, a tremor of apprehension runs through the mortal heart, until thy promised resurrection brings solace with the nascent day. Shine forth, Usil, eternal Fire, Imperishable Glory! Be thou propitious!

Etruscan hymn to Usil

O Usil, thou radiant Sovereign of the Empyrean expanse, whose countenance, fiery and magnificent, doth herald the awakening of the terrestrial sphere; thou art the first-born of Light, proceeding eternally from the inscrutable Mind that orders the cosmos. Ere the lark takes wing, ere the dew relinquishes its hold upon the nascent blade, thy celestial chariot, yoked with steeds breathing forth incandescent vapours, commences its inexorable journey across the cerulean fields above.

Behold him, mortals! Not as a mere orb of burning matter, but as the very Eye of the Aether, whose penetrating gaze discerns the intricate weavings of fate laid bare upon the world's great expanse. From thy Zenithal throne, thou dost survey the domains of Men and Gods, the ploughed furrow awaiting the quickening seed, the silent forest wherein lurk the spirits both benign and timorous, and the restless waters reflecting thy golden majesty.

Thy effulgence, O Usil, is the lifeblood of the verdant earth; it is the force that stirs the sluggish sap within the vine, that paints the ripened fruit with hues of admirable splendor, and that lends warmth to the chill stone of our most sacred fanes. Thou art the grand Regulator, marking the passage of moments, the succession of seasons, the very rhythm by which the loom of existence shuttles to and fro. Without thy diurnal blessing, creation itself would lapse into a Stygian torpor, a silent, unbreathing desolation.

Therefore, let us offer not empty words, but the profound weight of our devotion. Grant, O Master of the Sunlit Hours, that thy light may illuminate not only our fields and our homes, but the shadowed corners of our understanding. Vouchsafe thy clarity unto our augurs, thy vigour unto our warriors, thy bounty unto our labours. Usil, Imperator of Daylight, Orb of Undiminished Glory, we acknowledge thy dominion and seek thy perpetual favour upon this land and its people, until thy chariot descends once more into the veiled chambers of the West. So be it acknowledged in reverence profound.

Etruscan prayer to Usil

O Usil, thee we address, thee we invoke with proper rite. Thou who doth guide the golden chariot across the vault of heaven, attend thou to our voices.

Thou art the giver of light, dispelling the shadows of night and confusion. By thy command doth the day commence, and by thy descent doth it draw to a close. We beseech thee, look favorably upon thy people.

Thy warmth dost coax the seed from the earth; thy brilliance doth ripen the grain in the field and the grape upon the vine. Grant thou, Usil, that the earth yield its bounty fully. Grant thou sustenance for thy people and fodder for the herd.

Thou seest all things beneath thy journey; no secret in the heart of man nor hidden boundary upon the land escapes thy piercing gaze. Guide thou the augur's sight; make plain the signs thou dost reveal in the sky and upon the earth, that we may act according to the divine order.

Preserve thou the boundaries of our fields and our city. Ward off blight, pestilence, and the unseasonable frost. Let thy strong rays purify the air and drive away sickness.

Accept thou our devotion, offered with clean hands and sincere spirit according to the ancient customs. Be thou propitious towards us, Usil, Master of Light, Source of Warmth. Maintain thou the cycle of days; lend thy strength to our endeavors. Shine thou upon us, bright Usil, that we may prosper under thy watchful eye. Be thou honored by this observance.